‘Abject disaster’: Consultation on Te Pūkenga replacement begins

Consultation on reforming the country’s vocational education and training sector has begun as the Government looks to replace what it describes as the “failed Te Pūkenga experiment”.

Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds said the consultation was open for the next six weeks and the public were encouraged to make submissions.

“After four years and hundreds of millions of wasted taxpayer dollars, the previous government’s Te Pūkenga mega-merger has been nothing but an abject disaster,” Simmonds said.

“I look forward to people’s feedback and thoughts on the proposals which will help inform policy and the design of a more financially sustainable sector that better meets the needs of employers, employees, and communities.”

In 2020, 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPS) and nine industry training organizations (ITOs) were merged into one national network, known as Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology.